The present methods and systems are generally related to telecommunication methods and systems. The present methods and systems are more particularly related to enabling communication between and/or among users of wireless devices and other types of devices in a telecommunications network.
As the use of wireless devices becomes more prevalent in modern society, there is an increasing need for establishing a greater number and variety of paths of communication between and among users of wireless devices and other types of devices in a telecommunications network. In conventional practice, most wireless devices typically only store telephone numbers that can be accessed to communicate with the user or devices associated with those telephone numbers. Most wireless devices store only telephone numbers and associated text data (e.g., the telephone number and name of a recipient) in one or more address books, for example, associated with the wireless devices.
Thus, conventional wireless devices often do not account for addresses associated with the myriad methods and systems by which users of a telecommunications network may desire to communicate. Examples of other potential communication addresses include, for example, electronic mail address, instant messaging address, pager address, facsimile transmission number, and others. Conventional wireless devices, however, typically do not provide information other than a telephone number by which a wireless device can communicate with another user in the telecommunications network.
What are needed, therefore, are improved methods and systems for enabling selection of communication paths, as well as using the communication paths to establish communication, between/among users of wireless devices and other types of users and devices within a telecommunications network.